Safety closure for wall openings



Jan.1, 1,479,452

W. F. CANAVAN SAFETY CLOSURE FOR WALL OPENINGS Filed April ll 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 bran/o" Jan. 1, 1924 1,47%,452

W. F. CANAVAN SAFETY CLOSURE FOR WALL OPENINGS Filed April 11. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG" y g'j Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES WIILLAM FREDERIC GANAVAN, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SAFETY CLOSURE FOB, WALL OPENINGS.

Application filed April 11, 1923. Serial No. 631,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FnEDnRIo GANAVAN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and residing at 264 Clifton Avenue, in the city ofMontreal, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, haveinvented a new and useful Im rovement in Safety Closures for Wallpenings, of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to a safety closure for wall openings as describedin the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawingsthatform part of the same.-

The invention consists essentially of the novel features pointed outbroadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following adescription containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form ofthe invention.

The objects of the invention are to afford great facllity in the openingand closing of windows and panels in grain elevators, mills, factoriesand other buildings where it is desirable to close the windows or wallpanels in groups and to permit the ready opening of windows in the eventof'explosions or other unforeseen happenings and where it is anadvantage for the openings to remain free of the closures following theforceful opening due to such causesas occur through spontaneouscombustion in grain elevators; to eliminate many of the inconveniencesand undesirable features of 18 sash operating devices; to furnish asimple an inexpensive arrangement of parts contain' well knownmechanical contrivances appl id l in a novel manner andin new combination to produce efficiency in operation.

and safety in buildings, and generally to provide a durable andserviceable device,

economical in regard to maintenance andeflicient in respect to safety. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a wall showinga group of Figure 5 is a ront elevation of an elevator wall showing agroup of windows and panels and the operating mechanism in dotted lines.Figure 6 is a rear elevation group of-windows and panels.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the variousfigures.

Referring to the .drawings, the windows of the same 1 and panels 2 arepreferably hinged at the 'upper ends to the frames 3, the hinges 4 beingof any suitable make and allowing the windows and panels to hangdownwardly so that'their plates extend downwardly over the next windowor panel below of the group in the extensions 5.

. The lugs G and 7 project outwardly from Q the sash of'the window orframe of the panel preferably from a bar 8 though the latter [8 not atall essential to the operation and to these lugs 6 and 7 the connectingrods 9 are pivotal y secured at their outer ends and at their inner endsto the levers 10 and 11 in the fork 12, the in stop 13 being securedacross said fork a jacent to the outer end to limit the extension of theconnecting rods and levers.

The levers 10 and 11 are formed with a journal opening 14 at their upperends" and are loosely mounted on the ratchets 15 and particularly on theextending hubs 16 of said ratchets, the latter being fixedly mounted onthe transverse shafts 17 also carrying the fixedly mounted worm wheelsThe pawls 19-are held to the ratchets 15 by the springs 20 and arepivotally secured to the levers 10 and 11 and so long as the transverseshafts remain stationary the said pawl and ratchet mechanisms hold thewindows and pawls securely in either an open or'clo'sed position, butthe transverse shafts 17 are rotatable in their bearings 21, thereforethe windows or panels can always be opened or closed though they willopen by force therebehind independent of the rota---- tion of the shaftand the pawls thereby move to a new position on theratchets in whichposition they will remain on thecloss ing of the windows and panels bythe rotation of the said transverse shafts. H

The vertical worm shafts 22 are journalled in the bearings 23 secured tothe wall and carry the worms 24, coact'mg with the worm wheels 18, thuslocking t e window! and panels to their open positions through the saidpawl and ratchet mechanisms until the worm shafts are turned by means ofthe hand wheel 25, when the ratchets will rotate and allow the windowsand panels to close by their own weight.

Briefly the o eration of the invention is as follows :T e windows andanels are first in their closed position an to open them the hand wheelsof theworm shafts are turned, which rotates the worm wheels andconsequently the transverse shafts. The ratchets turn with these shaftsand being engaged by the (pawls the levers are connected and operate toan extended position as far as esired.

The closing is accomplished by reversing the direction of the Worm shaftand thus changing the positions of the ratchets and naturally bringingboth pawls and ratchets to their first relative position, that is to saythe pawls move down with the ratchets in rotation and keep to the sametooth. Meanwhile the windows or panels close by. their own weight andare held there, un ess an explosion should occur and cause them to flyopen bringing the levers and connectm rods to their extreme extendedositions ant coincidentally drawing the paw s from tooth to tooth ofeach ratchet until the gin sto s of the levers are reached when t e paws will hold to theratchet teeth and as said ratchets are stationabecause of the worm and wheel, the said windows and panels will be heldto their open positions to be subseuently closed by the manual operationof t 10 mechanism as explained.

It will be noticed that the closures and windows are pivoted throu h thelugs 26, which project inwardly, so t at the natural tendency of thewindow or pawl is to swing under t e ivots and thereby closely engagethe wall t erearound.

The worm shafts 22 extend through the frames 27 and the worms 23 arewithin said frames as the latter also form bearings for the transverseshafts.

What I claim is 1. In safety closures for wall openings, 9. hin edclosure, for olding sair closure to its open position and worm and wheelmechanism for opening and closing said closure independently of anemergency movement.

2. In safety closures for wall openings, a hinged closure, pawl andratchet mechanism for holding said closure and for opening and closingoperations, a worm and worm wheel mechanism and a lever operated throuhsaid pawl and ratchet mechanism by said worm wheel shaft. l

3. In devices of the nature described, a closure hinged to close by itsown weight, means for holding said closure to its open position, andmeans for rotating one memlevers to said closures,

pawl and ratchet mechanism ber of the aforesaid m eans while itscoacting member maintains the same position in rearound, a closurehinged from the u per ortion, a transverse shaft journalle in llearingsfrom said frame and a worm wheel carried thereby, a vertical shaftsuitably journalled and having a worm engaging said worm wheel, aratchet fixedly mounted on said transverse shaft and having an extensionhub, a lever loosely mounted at the upper end on said," extension hub, aconnecting rod from said lever to said closure and a awl spring-held tosaid ratchet and pivota y secured on said lever.

, 5. In devices of the nature described, a wall havin a plurality ofopenin and frame wor there around, a plura ity of closures hinged toclose b gravity, a transverse shaft ournalled in earings from said frameand a worm wheel carried thereby, a vertical shaft suitably journalledand having a worm engaging said worm wheel, ratchets fixedly mounted onsaid transverse shaft and having extension hubs, levers loosely mount:

ed at the upper end on said extension hubs connecting rods from saidlevers to sai closures, and pawls sprin -held to said ratchets andpivotally secured on said levers.

6. In devices of the nature described, a wall havin frame wor therearound, a plura ity of closures hin ed to close by gravity a transverseshaft ournalled in bearings from said frame and a worm Wheel carriedthereby, a vertical shaft suitably journalled and having a worm engagingsaid worm wheel, ratchets fixedly mounted on said transverse shaft andhaving extension hubs, levers loosely mounted at the upper end on saidextension hubs, and having a forked end and a pin sto across said end,connecting rods from sai and pawls springheld to said ratchets andpivotally secured on said levers.

7. In devices of the nature described, a wall having an opening andframe therearound,,-a.closurc in the form of a panel havin r hinges atthe upper and secured to said rame and a connecting rod lug intermediateof its height, a transverse shaft journalled in bearings from said frameand a worm wheel carried thereby, a vertical shaft suitably journalledand having a worm engagin said worm wheel, ratchets fixedly mountet onsaid transverse shaft and having extension hubs, levers loosely mountedat the upper end on said extension hubs, conneeting rods from saidlevers to said closures, and pawls sprin -held to said ratchets andpivotally secure on said levers.

a plurality of openin s and lid 8. In devices of the nature described, awall having an opening and frame therearound, a closure in the form of awindow having its sash hinged at the upper end to said frame and a baracross said sash for a connecting rod, a transverse shaft journalled inbearings from said frame, and a worm wheel carried thereby, a verticalshaft suitably journalled and having a worm engaging said worm wheel,ratchets fixedly mounted on said transverse shaft and having extensionhubs, levers loosely mounted a at the upper end on said extension hubs,connecting rods from said levers to said closures, and pawls spring-heldto said ratchets and pivotally secured on said levers.

9. In closures for wall openings, a grou of windows and panels invertical and horizontal rows, a horizontal shaft for each horizontal rowof windows or panels or both, ratchets on said shafts for each closureand rotating therewithand having hubs extending therefrom, leversmounted on said ratchet hubs and having stops at the ends,

pawls on said levers spring-held to said connecting rods from saidlevers toratchets, said closures, a worm Wheel on each of said shaftsand a worm shaft having worms corresponding to and coacting with saidwheels and operated by a hand wheel.

Signed at Montreal, Canada, this 28th day of March, 1923.

WILLIAM FREDERIG GANAVAN. v

